Over the weekend, I attended the Helena Mineral Society’s annual Mineral and Fossil Show at the Civic Center – the “Rock Show,” as it's colloquially known. Over the last twenty or so years, I have missed but a handful of these shows. When I was a boy of seven or eight, my uncle Stack took me to my first such show, hooking me in for a lifetime.
As a kid, I spent 90% of my time hunting for
collectible rocks while I traipsed about. I scoured alleys, vacant fields,
along and in the creek – virtually anywhere I walked. I can fairly say my
fascination with rocks has diminished little. I still return home from my hikes
with rocks in my pockets. The same goes for the Rock Show – I always buy one or
two specimens.
This year, I found myself dazzled by polychrome jasper from Madagascar. Jasper is not particularly uncommon; it forms when silica-rich solutions flow through fractures in rocks, depositing layers of silica that incorporate impurities like iron oxides and organic material. Over time, these layers solidify under pressure and heat, resulting in the distinctive colors, patterns, and textures characteristic of jasper. While jasper is found worldwide, polychrome jasper from Madagascar stands out for its exceptional beauty and rarity.
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—Mitchell Hegman
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